The Gift
by RazzldHearts
Summary: Christmas time has rolled around and Melody has gotten presents for everyone- except Riku. As the holiday draws near, she desperately searches for that one perfect, special gift. What will she finally decide to give him? Takes place in my Road to Dawn universe.
1. The Dilemma

**Hello all! I figured there would be lots of holiday stories going up in the next few days and thought I'd add my own! This will be a three part story, the final chapter being posted on Christmas, of course. Takes place in my Road to Dawn universe, probably about six months after the CoM events. Hope you enjoy!**

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 **Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is not mine...**

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The skies above Hollow Bastion were covered with clouds, making the winter day seem even colder. At least, that is what Melody thought. She let out a sigh, watching the breath of air condense into wisps of clouds and get carried away on a lazy wind. It had snowed only two days ago, leaving the recovering castle town covered in white fluffy piles of snow.

The still-new Restoration Committee had done a good job of clearing the roads, so the people that had returned didn't seem to have any trouble moving about. Merlin of course, still found ways of nitpicking their progress, but it didn't seem to have dampened anyone's spirit. Not with Christmas only three days away.

The houses that had been cleared and repaired so far looked warm and comforting, reminding Melody of how it was before the town's destruction. The people had decorated their doors with ribbons and pictures drawn by kids. At night candles filled most of the windows, giving off soft, warm glows. A few of the citizens had gotten creative and somehow wove together pieces of cloth to create colorful wreaths that decorated the sides of their homes. However, The Restoration Committee had yet to successfully grow anything here, much to Aerith's dismay, who was working tirelessly to get her gardens to grow.

Merlin had been kind enough though to conjure a single, massive pine tree that was set up in the new market over the old fountains. Every single citizen had donated at least one decoration for the tree, and Cid had managed to create some lights to string along its branches. As soon as the daylight faded, the tree lit up, drawing many people to the square every night.

Melody smiled. It was such a great time of year! She could even stand the cold for the short time around the holiday. They had been back to the town several times over the past month, and Melody got more excited each time. This visit, had surprisingly been a social one. She had insisted she needed to come, and of course, Riku and Mickey had both tagged along. Well…more like Mickey talked Riku into coming. But he still came nonetheless, so Melody counted it as a small victory.

Riku had been distant for a while, but for all their worry, they both knew why. The darkness was getting harder for him to control. It took immense amounts of energy and willpower at times just to keep it in check, and the thought of Ansem lurking somewhere in that darkness must have been adding worry to the teen. They both had decided he needed a break. Melody had a slight ulterior motive though.

"Did you celebrate Christmas too, Riku? Back home, I mean." Melody asked, smiling to him. The boy tilted his head in her direction, and she couldn't stop the small frown when all she saw was that blindfold instead of his eyes.

"Of course, I did. Mornings were usually spent with family, and then I would go out and meet Kairi and, Sora…" Neither Mickey nor Melody missed the pause after Kairi's name. Namine had been working on Sora's memories for a while now. But recently, she seemed to have been hitting a few snags. These snags were taking more time to fix, and had started affecting even Riku's memory. He had looked crushed when he first had trouble remembering his best friend's name. "We'd meet a few other kids over on the island sometimes, but usually it was just the three of us." He added.

"I bet it never got this cold though, huh?" Mickey asked, pulling his hood down over his face a little more to block a gust of wind. Riku seemed to force a laugh and shook his head.

"No. It was always warm. And the Christmas trees were never live ones- we made fake ones since pine trees were so rare." He said, turning toward the large tree dominating the main square. "The real ones are nice though."

"Really? How can you tell with your eyes covered?" Melody asked, crossing her arms and looking back towards the tree. Mickey looked up at Riku then, also realizing he was making comments on visual things.

Riku scratched his head as he figured out how to explain it. "It's hard to explain. I can see the shapes, but it's the way the world moves around it that gives the shapes depth. When someone uses magic, it's like bursts of colors dancing around and painting an even sharper image for me. With people, they become clearer the more they feel. Their emotions show me their movements and expressions clearer than my eyes alone could."

"Wow… That's amazing, Riku." Melody said, surprised. He didn't seem to have trouble moving around anymore, but she never would have guessed he could still "see". Judging by Mickey's surprise, she guessed he didn't know either. Melody remembered where she had been going with her line of questioning and forced herself away from this newly discovered information.

"Say, if you celebrated Christmas, does that mean you also got presents?" Melody asked as casually as she could. Riku turned away from her with a sigh, continuing on towards the bailey. Even with his eyes covered, Melody was getting better at reading him, and she could swear he rolled his eyes under that stupid blindfold. She gave him a mischievous smile and jogged back to his side, Mickey close behind. "Ohh, I bet you were always on Santa's naughty list, right? You must have gotten a lot of coal!"

"Riku's a good person at heart though. You gotta give him some more credit, Melody." Mickey commented in a mock serious voice.

"I guess. But that would mean Santa was wrong when checking his list…" She replied.

"I got plenty of presents. And no," He added, turning specifically in Melody's direction. "It was never coal."

Melody bit her lip, anticipation building as she finally had the chance to ask the vital question that had been in the forefront of her mind for several days now. "Really? What kind of presents?"

Riku looked away from her as they walked down the snow-slicked stairs into the town. "Usual stuff. Clothes, a few books, some gear for the sword club." he said with little interest. "I never really got as excited as my mom and grandmother got over it. And definitely not as excited as Sora."

Mickey winced and risked a glance to Melody. She was still smiling, but it seemed a little more forced. He watched her shoulders sag an inch or so and her gaze become distant. He knew she was struggling to find a gift for their silver-haired friend.

From what both he and Riku had seen, Melody loved Christmas time. And even more than that, she loved presents- whether it was giving or receiving. That was her main reason behind the trip here today. She had a massive pile of presents, not only for The Restoration Committee, but dozens of toys and winter clothes for the struggling families that had returned to Hollow Bastion. She'd left them all with Leon, saying he could distribute them as he saw fit- he seemed to know just about everyone that had returned, so he would know who could afford presents, who couldn't, and who needed warmer accessories.

She had even gotten something for himself, Namine and DiZ, as he had seen at least one present for each of them under the small Christmas Tree now standing in the corner of the library back in Twilight Town. She had presents for her colleagues working under the Celestial Witch as well, which she had delivered last week. And despite all this, Mickey had yet to see something specifically for Riku. And based on her line of questioning, it would seem she had yet to find something for the boy.

She had asked him only two days ago if he was getting anything for Riku, and unfortunately, he hadn't been able to help. While going through some of his old things at his Master's castle, Mickey had found a book of spells and potions geared specifically towards finding balance and controlling inner darkness. He figured Riku would appreciate any extra help with how much trouble he was starting to have and had decided to pass the book on to him.

Melody looked back up at the sky, stuffing her cold fingers into the pockets of her vest after pulling her scarf closer to her neck and chin. ' _There's got to be something…'_ she thought. ' _ **Something**_ _…'_

"Aha! There you are Melody. I've been looking all over for you, young lady." Merlin's voice broke through her thoughts. Before the old wizard had even finished his sentence, Riku had pulled his hood up and turned his head away from them. Melody watched sadly as he hid his face but stopped so the wizard could catch up to them. It appeared Riku still didn't want to draw any attention.

"Hey Merlin. What's going on?" She asked, already feeling Riku's stare creeping over her skin. How could a guy with a blindfold _and_ a hood blocking his vision still send such skin crawling glares? As Merlin began with one of his odd stories, she had a feeling they were going to be there a while.

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"I said I was sorry!" Melody said as the trio now walked down the hill from Station Heights back in Twilight Town. "If it bothered you so much, why didn't _you_ speak up?" She added, glaring at Riku who just sighed and shook his head.

"It wouldn't have mattered. You still would have insisted we stay and help them." He replied. Blushing, Melody whimpered and turned her attention to the shops lining the street into the Market.

"Even so…"

Mickey chuckled, giving Riku a knowing look. "I think you would have stayed too, Riku." He whispered. A soft pink crept over Riku's cheeks and he quickly tried to shush the small king. A smile worked its way over Melody's lips, watching Riku try to quietly refute Mickey's accusations. He really was a good person- he just didn't seem to want anyone to know.

"You are just so cute Riku!" Melody said, clapping her hands together as though she'd just decided. Riku stiffened and turned towards her, frown firmly in place and face still pink.

"I've told you before not to call me that!" The silver-haired boy replied loudly, leaning over her.

"Wow, Riku. Did you have another growth-spurt?" Melody asked nervously as she noticed he seemed to be almost towering over her. A light bulb went off in her head when she realized what she was asking. "Do your clothes feel too small?" She added excitedly.

Riku let out a long breath before putting a hand to her forehead and pushing her away. "Even if I did grow, my clothes are fine. _You_ were the one who told Minnie to make sure my new clothes were a size or two bigger than I needed at the time." He said and ducked through the hole in the wall leading into the forests on the edge of town.

The small king looked up to see Melody's eyes teary as she realized he was right. "Why! Why did I do that?" She was mumbling under her breath, both hands on her head. Mickey gave the poor girl a small smile.

"It's alright, Melody. I know you'll think of something great!" Mickey whispered encouragingly. "Keep trying!" He walked through the opening into the woods after Riku, leaving Melody to mourn her dilemma.

"Where's Melody?" Riku asked when he only heard Mickey jogging to catch up to him.

Mickey chuckled a bit nervously and glanced over his shoulder. "She, uh, she just needs some time to herself. She'll be along soon." He replied, then after a moment spoke up again. "Hey, Riku. Is there something that you want for yourself?"

Riku's head moved marginally in Mickey's direction. "Something I want?" He repeated in confusion.

Nodding, Mickey looked towards the worn mansion with a thoughtful expression. "We watched Melody hand out presents and help the people in Hollow Bastion all day, and I started wondering if there were things you or Melody wanted but never asked for."

Riku hummed in response and seemed to think it over. "I'm not sure. No one's ever asked me that before." He said, sounding surprised. "I guess what I want most is for Sora to be ok, and to be able to conquer this darkness inside me."

Mickey looked up at Riku, who still seemed to be thinking it over as they walked through the gates into the courtyard. He understood a little bit of Melody's dilemma now.

Melody wanted to get something meaningful for Riku. And yet, Riku was surprisingly simplistic. The things he wanted, or even needed weren't things that could be boxed up and presented as a gift. He wanted to conquer his demons, and he wanted to be with his friends, and he wanted to continue seeing new things and places.

The small king couldn't help his next thought. ' _Melody really has her work cut out for her.'_

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 **I've tried thinking of what someone like Riku would want as a present, and let me tell you, it is hard! Anyway, hope you all liked it, and stay tuned for part two!**

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 **Happy Holidays and Thank you all!**


	2. The Problem with Spying

**I'm late, I'm late, I'm late! Sadly, FFN decided to have some issues with uploading, but I also ended up rewriting this. Hope you enjoy!**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts**

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Melody slowly trudged through the front doors of the mansion, her hazel eyes distant. She grumbled as she moved up the stairs on the right.

Riku and Mickey were descending the other staircase, and stopped. They watched as she nearly tripped on the landing before turning and heading up the last of the stairs. The two looked at each other worriedly. Mickey just shook his head, and continued down the stairs to the study, where DiZ was waiting to speak with them. Riku turned towards the library door, where Melody had disappeared into. He heard the release of magic, indicating she had opened the passage to the basement. He frowned but continued after Mickey, figuring he could always check on her afterwards.

Meanwhile, Melody had made her way through the basement. She barely glanced at the clean pods Donald and Goofy now rested in as she passed by. She hardly noticed the doors sliding open to let her into the final chamber. And she definitely wasn't of Naminé's confused expression following her as she plopped down on the floor in front of the room's only sleeping pod- the one that contained Sora.

The auburn-haired girl stared up at the sleeping boy, her shin resting in her hand, elbow on her knee. "Sora, I need to know how you deal with that 'best friend' of yours." She grumbled, almost hoping for an answer she knew would never come.

"Hello, Melody. How are you today?" Naminé greeted, bending over to look at the forlorn girl. Melody blinked a few times and slowly turned to look at the blonde.

"Hey Naminé, when did you get here?" She asked curiously. Naminé gave the girl a confused look.

"I was here before you were…"

"Wha?! Really?!" Melody gaped up at her in shock. Naminé nodded quietly and the girl moaned, falling over. "I'm so sorry! I was up early this morning trying to find a Christmas present for Riku." She explained looking up at the quiet girl. "Tomorrow's Christmas, and I _still_ have nothing for him!"

Naminé giggled and gently sat next to her on the floor, folding her legs to the side. "It sounds like you've been having a lot of trouble."

"It doesn't seem like he needs anything! And I can't just outright _ask_ him! Then he'll know!" Melody whined and rubbed at her eyes. Naminé patted the distraught girl's arm.

"Have you tried just observing him?" The blonde girl asked thoughtfully.

Rolling her eyes, Melody lowered her hands and glanced at her friend. "I see him all the time- we've been traveling together for months now!"

Naminé shook her head. "Not like that. I mean, have you ever noticed what he eats for snacks, or seen how he spends free time- maybe there's something he might need that he doesn't realize." She explained. Melody thought for a moment.

Well, she knew he wasn't too picky about his food the last month or so. He'd been going through a growth spurt and seemed satisfied eating anything available. But what he did with his limited free time, she wasn't sure. She had figured he spent it training…

Slowly, Melody's eyes widened as she realized what she had to do. And then, she smiled sweetly while turning to Naminé. Naminé scooted back a little as those suddenly very devious hazel eyes turned on her. "Naminé! I need you to come with me!" Melody said in an almost sing-song voice.

Naminé felt a bead of sweat drip down her cheek. "What for?" She cautiously asked. Melody stood up, pulling Naminé with her and towards the door. "Melody?!"

"We're going into stealth mode!"

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"Melody, why are we doing this?" Naminé whimpered.

The two girls were currently sitting on top of the wall surrounding the mansion, peeking through the trees into the forest. Melody had a pair of binoculars in her hand and she was staring intently through them at their silver-haired target.

About an hour ago, Riku had left his meeting with DiZ, slamming the door open harshly as he stalked out of the mansion and into the woods. His keyblade was in his hand before he had even entered the forest and his other hand raised, wisps of magic crackling around the appendage. With a frustrated yell he had moved right into swinging his keyblade in wide arcs, following through sets of attacks. Every few minutes he set off a strong magic spell along with his attack, sending magic rippling through the trees and shaking the walls of the mansion.

"We're observing Riku, without him knowing, so we can figure out the perfect present ever, so I can give it to him for Christmas. Just like you said." Melody said quickly and quietly, leaning forward as he moved behind some trees.

"I didn't say to spy!" Naminé replied as loud as she dared.

With a roll of the eyes and a huff, Melody turned to look at her blonde partner. "We're not spying- we're _observing._ " She stated. "And if we're not quiet he'll hear us." Naminé's eyes, which had been trained on her friend's face, slowly moved from Melody to something just behind her, and the blonde gulped, snapping her mouth shut.

" _Who_ will hear you?" A dry, cool voice spoke from just behind the auburn-haired girl and she froze, her eyes wide. A shadow fell over her and the girl shook with a sudden nervousness. Almost robotically, Melody turned, her eyes moving up the length of a black coat, over the crossed arms to the fair face, half hidden by a black blindfold and surrounded by messy silver hair. "Well, Melody?"

"No one!" She said quickly and raising to her feet in one motion. "Well, not exactly no one, I mean…uhm… nobodies!" she exclaimed, her hands making big motions as she spoke. "Naminé thought she felt some interference and we were hiding out here trying to see if someone from the Organization had found us!" She said, while slowly backing away. Naminé quickly stood as well and awkwardly nodded in agreement.

"Oh?" He said, his head not turning from her. Melody could swear it wasn't any different than when could use his eyes. She could almost feel him looking her over for something amiss. But something about the tone of that single syllable told her the sharp teen did not believe a single word.

"Riku! I wouldn't _lie_ about them! You know that, right?" She said as sweetly as she could muster. She swore she saw an eyebrow raise under that blindfold. Riku seemed to observe her for another long moment. Eventually he sighed and reached a hand out, flicking her in the forehead.

"Just stay out of trouble." He said with a hand on his hip. Melody winced and rubbed at her forehead, her lips forming a pout as she glared up at him.

"Riku? What are you doin up there?" Mickey's voice drew everyone's attention to the ground, where he stood near the gate looking up at them curiously. "Oh. Hey Melody, Hey Naminé! I didn't see you up there too." He said with a wave. Naminé waved with a nervous laugh as did Melody. Riku shook his head with another sigh.

"You two are so obvious…" He mumbled. The two went ridged and backed away from him.

"C'mon Riku! Let's go get that stuff for DiZ now." Mickey called. Riku turned his head back down to the small king and nodded once.

"Alright, I'm coming." The silver-haired boy replied and easily leapt down from the wall. "Do what I say, Melody." Riku warned over his shoulder as the two walked into the trees, heading for the Market.

"Why does he say that like I go looking for trouble?" Melody grumbled as she watched them walk away.

Naminé avoided looking at her. ' _Why indeed….'_ She thought sarcastically. "Should we go back inside then?"

Melody turned and gave her a look of disbelief. "Of course not! We've only just started!"

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"Don't you think he'll see us again?" Naminé asked as the two girls peeked around the accessory shop. Mickey was currently speaking with the owner of the Item Shop across the street from them. Riku was barely facing the shop, standing quietly with a bag in hand.

"Oh, don't worry so much! If he does, we'll just tell him I dragged you out for some last-minute shopping. Which _is_ partially true." Melody replied, holding her binoculars up to her face again. Clearly, she wasn't worried.

"Is this really worth making him upset?" Naminé asked, looking from Melody to Riku. The silver-haired was answering a question from the owner, nodding his head once.

"I want to give a gift that will _mean_ something to him." Melody finally answered, her hazel orbs calm and serious for once. Naminé was surprised by the answer, but felt she understood a little. She smiled and turned back to the two boys.

Just then, the two turned and the blonde girl panicked. "Oh no!" She said and pulled Melody back, surprising the other girl. Melody let out a surprised gasp as she was suddenly jerked backwards.

"Jeez, Naminé! Why did you do that?" She asked, but a loud horn cut her off. The two looked up just in time to see the tram car feet away- and they were standing on the paved track. Her eyes widened. "Hold on!" She said and grabbed Naminé's wrist. She bent her knees slightly, ignoring the blonde's surprised protest. And then she jumped up.

She grabbed the decorative column on the front of the tram, hauling Naminé up next to her. They stood on the rail as it continued moving without stop and Melody groaned.

"Oh no! They're going the other way!" She whimpered, watching Riku and Mickey walking off up the hill into the next shopping district. "Aww! This sucks!" she yelled as the tram went around a sharp corner and sped up.

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"I can't say I'm sorry enough. I feel really bad about that…" Naminé said as the two were now climbing the stairs to the top of the clock tower.

"I told you, its alright! We may have gotten a little sidetracked, but we know where they were headed. We'll be able to spot them for sure from up here!" Melody replied with a grin, her determination still strong. Naminé wasn't sure though.

Melody pushed open the door and a blast of cold, wintery air met the two. Melody shivered, but pushed herself forward, walking out and around to the front of the tower. "Come on! You won't see anything from back there." Melody called, not at all fazed by the height. Naminé on the other hand, clung to the wall and cautiously took a step out.

"M-Melody! Maybe I should wait down below…" She said slowly, trying not to look over the edge.

"Oh, it's ok! It's cold, but you have a coat now, so it shouldn't be so bad!" Melody replied, leaning over the edge and looking out over the town. "I need your help anyway to spot them."

Naminé shook, whimpering but taking another step out. "And I'm grateful for the coat, but it's not the cold…" She said, trying to get Melody's attention.

But then, they heard voices. Two to be exact. And they were awfully familiar.

"Are you sure you heard right, Mickey? Why would the Organization come here and sit on a tower?" Riku's voice called.

Melody tensed. The two looked at each other. Naminé got nervous when she saw a glint in Melody's eyes. "Now wait a minute! Why don't we just explain why we're here! I'm sure he'll forgive you for following him." But Melody was not having it. She shook her head and looked over the edge of the tower than back to her friend. Naminé's eyes widened and she tried to back up. "No way! I'm not jumping-"

"Yes you are!" Melody replied and gripped her wrist tightly. She dragged the nervous girl to the side facing the Market and pulled her off. Just as her head cleared the edge, Melody gripped one of the supports, leaving the two to hang.

"Are you crazy!?" the blonde nobody couldn't help screaming.

"Hush! They'll hear us!" Melody said, looking down at Naminé who was clawing at her vest and waist in fear. From above they heard the two walk along the front ledge, debating on whether they should monitory this location.

"If they are coming here, they're traveling by foot a little bit. I can't sense any old rifts around here at all." Riku said, walking dangerously close to where they were hanging. "There isn't even a trace of magic."

"I can't sense anything either." Mickey commented. "We should follow up in a few days though, just to be sure. If they _are_ running around here, we need to know and make sure the mansion has enough protection."

Melody's eyes widened as she heard them walking back to the door. There was a resounding click as the door snapped into place. Her cold fingers began loosening their grip and she gulped. "Uhm… Naminé You might want to hold on a little tighter." Melody said worriedly.

The blonde looked up in confusion. Past Melody's face, she saw fingers slackening. Her blue eyes widened as suddenly her stomach was in her throat, and air was rushing past her. "Melody!" She yelled in fear as the two plummeted to the roofs of the buildings near the station.

Melody winced as she the orange roofs coming up fast. ' _This is gonna hurt…'_

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Melody was sitting on a rooftop patio, overlooking the sandlot while rubbing at her head and pouring her last potion on Naminé's arm. The two still had bits of dirt on their cheeks and hair, and Melody had a particular nasty bruise forming along her right shoulder and collarbone. Naminé sighed.

"I think we should just give it up Melody. We've been trying to follow him for hours, but I don't think we've been successful even once." She said, leaning against the rail. Melody looked up at Naminé and shook her head.

"I can't give up yet. I still don't have anything…" Melody said, turning to look down at the sandlot below.

"Melody, I'm sure whatever you get him he'll like, because it came from you. You two are good friends now, right?" Naminé asked. Melody hummed despondently. "Maybe you can just make a cake? Or what about making a scarf? I've heard that's something girls often do."

"He doesn't usually eat baked goods. Just cinnamon rolls every once and a while from that bakery off Station Heights. He won't have much use for a scarf in a month or two when it gets warm again. And by next year he'll probably be back home and never use it again." Melody said in a flat, sad voice.

"… You've really put thought into this, haven't you?" Naminé noted. Melody hummed, her eyes still on the sandlot. "Hey Melody, I might have an idea for you-" She began, but Melody's surprised gasp interrupted.

Down below, a group of four people, who apparently called themselves "The Disciplinary Committee" had been talking and practicing with Struggle batons. But then, Riku of all people had walked through the Sandlot, alone and apparently caught their attention.

"Wow. That's an eerie coincidence." Naminé said, turning so she could look through the rails easier. Melody shook her head with a tear in her eye.

"At this point, it must be fate!" Melody replied with renewed vigor. "Something out there wants me to get him the best gift ever!"

Naminé felt beads of sweat drip over her cheek and head. ' _She's so simple-minded sometimes…'_

Down in the sandlot, it appeared Riku had brushed off the ringleader- a man with a long, white, sleeveless coat and a beanie hiding light blonde hair. This did not sit well with the arrogant teen. He now had his baton out in front of him, and was crouched down in a loose stance. Riku had yet to take up a stance, or even turn to fully face him. The silverette seemed more irritated than anything.

The teen charged Riku, yelling, baton raised. Riku swiftly stepped back, and the attack met only air. The missed attack had thrown the teen, off balance, which Riku took advantage of and shoved at his right shoulder, sending the man to the ground.

"I hadn't noticed how much faster Riku's reflexes have gotten." Naminé heard Melody say to herself. Her hazel eyes watched as again, the man charged Riku, and again, Riku maneuvered out of the way and sent the boy tripping. But then, the two girls saw a large dark-skinned boy pick up a baton and sneak up behind Riku. "Wah! Riku! Look out!" Melody cried before she could stop herself.

A look of surprise crossed Riku's face and he turned, his keyblade appearing and knocking the man back, sending the baton high into the air… and over a rail to hit Melody on the head. "Owwie-ow!" Melody said, rubbing at her head. Those stupid batons were a lot heavier than they looked!

Naminé grabbed Melody and pulled her down flat to the ground. Melody winced. She had called down to Riku. He had obviously heard. Which meant he was now obviously trying to figure out where her voice had suddenly come from.

"Hey! How'd you get up?! This area is closed to the public!" The two girls looked at each other and groaned. They looked up, seeing what looked like a law officer standing over them with his arms crossed.

"This isn't our day…" Melody said with a groan as the officer said he'd have to take them both into custody. All Naminé could do was nod.

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"Ok! There's only an hour left before dinner. This is our last chance to try and learn something!" Melody said, crouched behind a train at the station. "Riku and Mickey said something yesterday about taking a late day train somewhere. They should be along any minute. All we have to do is make sure we get on the same train." She explained to Naminé, who was sitting with her knees pulled to her chest.

"I can't believe you knocked out that poor officer." She mumbled, fiddling with the hem of her coat. Melody rolled her eyes.

"If I hadn't, we would probably be sitting in a police office, getting questioned right about now." Melody replied, obviously not too torn up over it. "Now keep an eye out for Riku and Mickey. There's a lot of people and I don't want to miss them."

Naminé looked up and was about to stand to help her search when she stopped. "Uhm…Melody?" She said, tugging on her friend's sleeve. Melody turned with a raised eyebrow, looking tired. She raised a finger, pointing out across the station.

"Wow, did you find them al…ready…" Melody's excitement died out when she them not only down below, on the other side of the station, but Riku was helping a brunette with green eyes and an orange shirt stand. "Is he…is he _flirting_ with a…a _girl?"_ She asked in disbelief. Naminé rolled her eyes.

"I think he's just helping her, Melody."

"We went through so much today and then we get here and see _this?"_ Melody huffed, not hearing Naminé trying to calm her down.

"Melody, are you…jealous?" The blonde asked curiously.

"NO- I'm not jealous silly girl." Melody replied, smiling over to her friend. But the smile was forced and despite looking friendly, it was frightening. "I'm _pissed!"_ She hissed and stood up all the way. "Come on! We're getting over there so I can interrogate him about this!"

"Wait! Melody! I thought we weren't supposed to get caught!" Naminé squeaked and raced through the crowd after her friend. Naminé followed the growling auburn-haired girl down the stairs and across several train tracks. She seemed uninterested in the ticket sellers, or the crowds, or the moving trains- this was definitely not good.

Sliding doors suddenly cut off Melody in her war path and surprised her. She looked around to see they had entered a train car, only with the intent of passing through. Apparently, they hit it at the wrong time. Her eyes widened as she knocked a hand against the glass door in disbelief. "No way…" She mumbled.

Naminé watched as Melody tapped the glass two more times, as if checking to make sure it was real. The train lurched forward then, sending the two onto the seats next to the door. Melody rose to her knees to look out. And of course, just as she did, she saw Riku and Mickey step onto the town's purple and blue "ghost train". She chuckled darkly as the doors slid closed, and the ghost train took off in the opposite direction their train was beginning to move in.

"Melody? Are you ok?" Naminé asked, gently tapping her friend's arm. "Melody?" She sighed, looking at the tired girl. ' _And you wonder why Riku warns you to stay out of trouble…'_

"Hello! Do you mind if I sit here?" A new voice said, pulling Naminé's attention from her friend nearly melting into a pool of despair.

It was the brunette! The one from earlier! Naminé swallowed her nerves, forced a smile, and shook her head. "Not at all. Please go ahead." She said, her hand beginning to rub Melody's back.

"Thank you so much! I thought I wasn't going to make it at first, and was worried there wouldn't be any seats left." She said politely and sat down. "I'm Olette, what's your name?"

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 **Well there it is! I had wanted to get more in this chapter, but I think this is ok. Next chapter should be the finale. Naminé helps Melody (for real this time) and Riku finally gets his gift.**

 **Stay tuned! I should have the next one up in a day or so! Again, sorry for the delay -_-**

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 **Thank you all! And hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!**


	3. A Gift from the Heart

**_Hello all! Finally the finale- this was tough to finish, but I really wanted to get it out there. As always, hope you enjoy and feel free to leave me any thoughts or constructive criticisms._**

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 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, or any of the music mentioned._**

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"Riku, did you notice something…different, about Melody?" Mickey whispered behind his hand. Riku nodded without turning in his friend's direction. He could feel a drop of sweat roll down his cheek as he observed, in his own way, the auburn-haired girl across from them.

Everyone had gathered in the dining room on the back of the mansion that night for dinner. DiZ had his place at the end of the long, worn table. As usual though, he was surrounded by books and papers. A few seats down, Mickey and Riku sat next one another, and across from them sat Naminé and Melody.

The normally cheerful and talkative girl had practically dragged herself into the dining room only fifteen minutes ago, followed by a hungry and slightly disheveled Naminé. While the nobody had dug into her food immediately, Melody had stared at her plate of warm food for several long moments. Riku had stopped eating, fork half way to his mouth and turned his head towards her curiously. Mickey tried asking how their day was, only to receive a long sigh.

It was Naminé who eventually answered his questions. She seemed a little awkward while speaking to him, but genuine. She continued to glance at Melody as she spoke, who eventually lowered her head. It hit the wood with a soft thud, her nose squished into the table. And that was how she had sat for eleven minutes now.

A dark cloud of frustration and fatigue circled around her, and for once, Melody seemed uninterested in them. Riku sighed and pushed his mostly empty plate away. The dark mood slowly expanding from his companion left a bitter taste on the back of his tongue and made his stomach churn.

They all sat in silence for a moment before Riku titled his head ever so slightly in Melody's direction. He shook his head and stood, walking around the table to the other side. Gently, he placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and shook it a few times. He received a half-hearted grumble, but nothing more. Riku looked up at Naminé.

"Are you sure you two just went sightseeing today?" He asked suspiciously.

Naminé flinched, working to keep a small smile in place. "Yes, of course. I've never really been into town. We went all sorts of places." She said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster through her nervousness. She figured Riku would pick up on a lie a mile away, so she had decided to stick to half-truths while speaking for Melody throughout dinner. Hopefully that same tactic would work when directly faced with the silver haired boy.

He observed her for a long moment before looking back to Melody, rubbing his forehead. "You're just as troublesome…" he muttered. "Come on, Melody. You look like you need some sleep." He said a little louder, but again, the girl just sighed.

Riku rolled his eyes under his blindfold before grabbing her arm and began hauling her up. He pulled her arm around his neck and bent over to loop his other arm under her knees. Swiftly, he picked the dejected girl up. She whimpered and curled her fingers into his cloak.

"I wasn't done eating…" she mumbled, though her eyes were still half closed.

"Yes you were. That's Naminé's plate you're looking at." Riku replied flatly, not even pausing over the lie. He began walking away from the dinning table. "I'm taking her to her room. Can you wrap that food up for later, Naminé?" He called over his shoulder. He didn't wait for a response and nudged the door open, leaving the dining room behind.

He carried her down the hall to the foyer, needing to take her up to the room she and Naminé shared. It was just off the large white room that was full of the nobody's drawings. "You're a jerk…" He heard Melody murmur into his shoulder. "biggest jerk ever…"

Riku frowned slightly. "You call the guy helping you a jerk?"

"Yes. You give me headaches…"

Riku chuckled once. "Now you know how I feel." He replied. Melody didn't respond this time, but he could already hear her breaths beginning to even out. A chuckle escaped him that he wasn't expecting as he started up the stairs. "You always charge ahead. Then these kinds of things happen and you end up causing problems for me and Mickey." He scolded. Melody flexed her fingers in his cloak while grumbling, but didn't say anything audible.

His steps slowed as he looked down at the tired girl. "I wish you would just talk to me before you run off." He said softly. He readjusted his grip on her and forced his legs to move again. "Like I'm one to lecture on that though." He said as he came up to her door.

"Hm?" Melody hummed, her head lifting just barely from his shoulder.

Riku shook his head and nudged her door open with another sigh. "It's nothing."

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"Wake-up-wake-up-wake-up-wake-up!" Melody said in a desperate half whisper as she shook Naminé awake. The poor Nobody jolted awake as Melody practically started jumping on her bed.

"Melody? What's wrong? What time is it?" She asked as she slowly looked around, realizing how dark it still was. The auburn-haired girl was still shaking her a little and her eyes were wide. She was definitely in a panic.

"It's 2:30 in the morning, but that's not important right now!" She said, dismissing the early hour and failing to notice Naminé's groan. "It's Christmas morning! And I _still_ don't have a single thing for Riku! What am I going to do?! How could I have just fallen asleep?!" Melody said, her panic showing as she began pacing around their small room. "Even after everything we went through yesterday, and me trying to subtly ask him, and asking everyone around us, I have nothing! I'm supposed to be his friend and I have _nothing!_ " And with that, she sank to her knees, her head falling onto her own bed.

Naminé sat up, blinking and rubbing her eyes as she did so. After a long moment of watching looking at the auburn haired girl, she spoke up. "Melody, why is Christmas so important to you?" She asked tiredly and looked over her stressed friend. Melody lifted her head to look at Naminé in surprise, before leaning back on her hands, and looking up in thought.

"It's hard to explain. Everyone seems happier around this time of year though. Friends and families and communities come together to eat great food and share stories. They exchange gifts and show the people in their lives how important they are to one another." She finally said with a soft smile. "I always got presents for the people I worked with, and occasionally someone from one of the worlds I'd visited recently. But this is the first year I get to actually spend Christmas with friends." Melody smiled. "It's the best present I could ever ask for. So, I really wanted to be sure I gave each of you something special too."

Naminé was surprised. She had figured Melody had a reason for enjoying this time of year, but she hadn't expected the girl to have always spent the holiday alone. She smiled and got up, grabbing a large envelope from her nightstand drawer and walking over her friend. She sat down on the other bed, facing Melody. "Thank you, Melody. For letting me know." She said, drawing Melody's attention to her. Naminé looked down at the envelope, before back up at Melody. "I know it's a little early, but Merry Christmas." She said, holding the envelope out to her.

Surprised, Melody looked between the envelope and Naminé several times before grinning and accepting the envelope. "Thank you, Naminé!" She said, taking the envelope. "Can I open it?" She asked, curiosity getting the best of her. Naminé nodded and reached over, turning on the lamp next to Melody's bed so she could see.

Melody gently opened the envelope, despite her giddiness. She reached inside, pulling out a piece of thick sketch paper. She cocked her head to the side as she flipped it over, her eyes widening.

It was one of Naminé's drawings. The picture was of the two of them along with Riku and Mickey. They were all sitting on a ledge, bathed in colors of a rising sun. Each had a smile on their face, and a different kind of ice cream in their hand. Melody gently ran a finger over the page as she looked it over. Her fingers tingled, indicating a light sealing spell to protect the picture from getting damaged.

"After you explained Christmas to me, I thought about it, and realized I wanted to give something that had part of me in it- I always put what I'm thinking or… 'feeling' into each sketch. I thought maybe this would make a good present." Naminé said nervously as Melody looked over her present. "I hope it's ok…"

Melody moved up to sit on the bed and wrapped her arms around Naminé, grinning. "It's perfect, Naminé! I'll keep it with me forever!" She said. Naminé laughed softly but returned the hug.

"I'm glad you liked it. I don't think I'll be so nervous about giving the others their pictures now."

Melody let her go and looked down at the picture. Naminé yawned then, and stood. "So now, can you _please_ wait until a little later to freak out about Riku?" Melody blushed but nodded with an apologetic smile.

After Naminé had returned to bed, Melody leaned against her own headboard, looking down at her present. She ran a finger over Riku's face on the picture, her expression becoming thoughtful. ' _Something you put your feelings and thoughts into…'_ She thought, her fingers moving over her own happy face. _'Do I have something like that?'_ She slouched down under her covers, carefully setting the picture on her nightstand and turning the light off.

She pulled her covers up to her nose, intent on letting it wait a few more hours. Perhaps some more sleep would clear her mind. _'What thoughts and feelings do I want to show him?'_ She frowned and turned over on her side, trying to get more comfortable. ' _… I want him to know he's a special person too. And that I'll always be here for him, just like Mickey is…'_

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Naminé wasn't surprised when she woke up several hours later to an empty room and a note on her nightstand. She rolled her eyes, wondering if Melody had gotten any sleep at all. She picked up the piece of paper and read over the note she had been left with. Her eyes widened in surprise but she grinned. "So you _did_ figure something out!" The blonde murmured.

She stood with new energy and quickly changed, grabbing the envelopes with pictures for the others and hurrying out of her room. Naminé glanced over the rail, looking into the foyer and listening for anyone else. It was silent though. She hurried around the top of the stairs over to the library to place her envelopes by the tree Melody had put up in there about a week ago.

She cautiously opened the door, expecting to at least find DiZ, but this room was empty as well. She set her presents next to the tree and moved back over to open the stairs down into the basement. ' _Maybe they're down with Sora…'_ She thought, wondering if something had happened. She couldn't feel anything more tugging or disrupting the scattered memories around Sora.

"Oh!" Naminé jumped as a cloaked boy stepped out of the basement into the control room. "Riku! You startled me."

"Sorry about that. I was just checking on Sora." He replied, not seeming fazed at all by her appearance. "What are you doing down here?"

Naminé nodded. "I was looking for you or DiZ. It was so quiet upstairs, I was wondering if something happened." She explained, crossing her arms behind her back. Riku tilted his head in her direction.

"Melody's not with you? I figured she wouldn't have let you out of her site since this is your first Christmas." He said in surprise. Naminé chuckled awkwardly. Melody _had_ been really excited about it being the Nobody's first holiday celebration, but she wasn't sure she could handle another adventure with Melody so soon after what they went through yesterday.

"She was gone before I woke up." Naminé replied as casually as she could. "But she did leave a note saying she wants you to meet her at Sunset Hill, when you get the chance." Riku tilted his head in her direction again, his lips in a firm line.

"Why?"

Naminé just smiled and shook her head. "It's a surprise. It _is_ Melody we're talking about though." She said. "I'm not sure how long she's been gone. You might want to go soon." She said and walked past him. "I need to check on how the memories are doing that I linked together the other day." She added and jogged into the basement towards the pod rooms.

Riku stood there for a moment before sighing and rubbing his head. "Guess I _have_ to go…" He muttered, leaving the control room.

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About thirty minutes later Riku stepped out of the train onto the Sunset Terrace platform. No one was around. For once, the usually popular Terrace was mostly empty. He saw one couple walking along the tram path, since the tram wasn't running. ' _What could she need to do out here?'_ he thought. And then, he heard it.

A violin, carried on the light breeze and he stopped in surprise, looking up to the entrance to Sunset Hill. The song felt familiar somehow, though as he racked his brain, he couldn't figure out where it came from.

 _~…This dream that lives within yours eyes_

 _I wish to see it come to life_

 _A thousand blades…~_

Riku's eyes widened under his blindfold as a very familiar voice mixed with the violin. Slowly, he forced his legs to move. He followed the song, deep emotions in each word and note emanating from the top of Sunset Hill. He stepped quickly around the brush at the top off the hill and froze as smells and emotions painted a picture for him.

~ _…Let the tide rush over you_

 _And one day I know we shall meet again_ ~

In the center of the flat top, Melody played. She spun and moved in small dance motions, obviously lost to the moment. Her voice was strong and firm, yet held a sadness Riku didn't know she could possess. Yet as her song tapered off, and her spins slowed, hope returned in her voice.

 _~My dearly beloved…~_

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Melody took a deep breath as her lyrics ended, her violin slowing as the song came to an end. She slowly opened her eyes, looking out at the hills surrounding the town.

It always looked beautiful here. The air was always clean, and town always bathed in the warm colors of the sun. Waiting for Riku to show up had left her staring out at this scene for a while. She finally couldn't resist the desire to move and had pulled her violin from its case. The only song that had come to mind was one she knew well. It was something she heard deep in her heart when she was worried or scared. She always felt like she was connected to something greater, and gave her courage to continue on.

She suddenly heard clapping and her eyes widened as she spun around quickly, nearly falling over from how fast she moved.

Riku was several yards away by the road, clapping as he began to approach her. "You said you could play, I didn't know you sang too." He said, dashing her growing hope that he hadn't heard her.

She blushed and rubbed her head sheepishly. "Not really! My singing really sucks." she replied and shook her bow a few times. "Luckily, my instrument playing usually makes up for it. I mean, it should- I spent like six years learning to play and write, but I think I told you that before when-"

Riku shook his head and placed a hand on his hip. "You're babbling." Melody quickly put a hand over her mouth, but ended up hitting her head with her bow. She whimpered and rubbed her temple, lips forming a pout.

"Meanie. And I dug my good violin out just so I could play for you…" She grumbled.

"What?" Riku asked, turning his head towards her in confusion. Melody could have thwacked herself in the head again with her bow when she realized she said that out loud. She sighed and glanced at him, her face red.

"Well…" She started, unsure how to begin. ' _No sense hiding! Just move forward!'_ she told herself. She took a deep breath and turned to Riku with a warm smile. "Merry Christmas, Riku! I hope you enjoy your gift!" She said and walked backwards several steps so she had more room.

Riku tilted his head as she moved, his annoyance having melted back into curiosity. Melody reached down to her belt, where her music player was clipped. It was set on a playlist of prerecorded percussion tracks, ones she had created many years ago to accompany songs she never intended to share. She pressed play without any more hesitation, and raised her violin to her shoulder.

As a beat began playing, Melody closed her eyes and raised her bow, running it against the strings as she began to play.

The first song, was a medley of Christmastime songs. As she played, she began slowly swaying with the music until her feet began moving into dance steps; some quick, some slow, almost walking steps, and several spinning motions. ' _I hope in some small way you can see.'_ Melody thought as she opened herself up to the music.

' _I hope you can feel what I feel. Because I can't even explain it myself.'_

The Christmas carols began dying out, but then she halted her violin and began stomping her foot as a new beat began playing, this one with more edge and power. She pulled her bow quickly across the strings and started playing out the new song.

' _I want to keep seeing new things with you, and I want to keep arguing with you, and I want to see you meet with your friends again. I want you to know…'_

Melody smiled to herself, opening her eyes as she played to see Riku still facing her. At some point he had gone and sat on the edge of the raised ground across from the station replica. And despite not being able to look into his eyes, she felt like he was seeing her small performance. She felt some confidence trickle through her and she took a deep breath, continuing through the song.

As the beats slowed down again, they changed, flowing into a new rhythm. Melody paused a moment to find her place and catch her breath. But the pause was only seconds and then she lifted her bow, smiling as her fingers danced over the strings, the same song from earlier beginning. She didn't sing this time though, instead just turning and dancing as her heart commanded.

' _You're not alone through any of this.'_

As the song finally climaxed, Melody slowed down to a sway, before stopping completely. She lowered a hand to her belt, turning her music player off and catching her breath. Silence filled the air. Cautiously, she lowered her instrument to her side as her breathing slowed. Melody could feel her ears burning as she waited for…something. She wasn't sure what though. Maybe he didn't like it- after all receiving a song and dance while not having use of your eyes was probably a horrible gift.

But then, something did happen. A large, warm body encircled her, drawing a surprised squeak from her. Her hazel eyes were wide and she thought she heard Riku chuckling over her shoulder. Was he- _Riku-_ hugging her? This was…new. He didn't seem to like initiating contact like this. The dumbfounded girl stood there, trying to contemplate what was happening when his arms tightened, catching her attention.

"Thank you, Melody." He said softly, his tone genuine.

Melody realized then that he _had_ liked it, he wasn't disappointed in her. All of her tension from the last several days drained out of her in seconds and she leaned against him, her smile growing wider. Briefly, she wondered if she would even be able to feel her cheeks later from all the smiles.

She laughed and wrapped an arm under his. "Merry Christmas, Riku!"

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 _ **The end! I had trouble finishing this one- I just couldn't think of a good present for him and backed myself into a corner! So I thought about everything I had planned out about Melody and figured this would be a good gift. The ending feels a bit off though- any thoughts?**_

 _ **I think I might write a sequel that takes place on New Year's and have it be more from Riku's perspective…**_

 _ **This was also my first time adding in songs and trying to describe a performance! So many writing firsts for me this month.**_

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 _ **The lyrics come from** **Dearly Beloved** **, cover by Amalee (I would add links, but I haven't figured out how to...)**_

 _ **The songs I was listening to or thinking of her performing to were Lindsey Stirling songs Celtic Carol and Roundtable Rival/The Arena**_

 _ **And the last song, I was picturing was a Dearly Beloved violin cover, like the one by Taylor Davis.**_

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 _ **Hope you enjoyed this! And had wonderful holidays with your loved ones.**_

 _ **Thank you all for your support!**_


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